Lucas Bols has acquired no-alcohol spirit start-up Fluère, with the transaction fee starting at EUR1m [US$1.07m].
The purchase, announced last week, sees the four-strong namesake range added to Lucas Bols’ cocktail-focused stable. As background, the company cited data from IWSR forecasting a compound annual growth rate of +8% between 2021 and 2025 for “the no- & low- alcohol market”.
Sales and profits targets have been set for the next three years that will guide unspecified extra payments beyond the initial EUR1m.
“The … Fluère brand is in the sweet spot of mindful drinking without having to compromise on a great cocktail experience,” said CEO Huub van Doorne. “By leveraging our strong distribution platform and on-trade expertise, we can accelerate Fluère’s scale-up.”
Founded in the Netherlands in 2018, the brand comprises four zero-alcohol flavours – Original, Spiced Cane, Raspberry and Smoked Agave – that are set to be joined by Bitter next month.
The acquisition coincides with news yesterday that Lucas Bols and De Kuyper have closed the divestment of their Avandis production and bottling joint venture to Refresco. The sale will net the pair around EUR5m each once the business’s debt has been cleared.
Why Europe is still the place to be for cocktails – Market Intel
